Different Thoughts: Spin-Off Chapters of The All Seeing Eyes
by TheSilkWriter
Summary: Have you ever wondered what Shukaku might think of a girl that expresses interest in Gaara? Have you ever wondered how Gaara deals with his feelings? Spin-off chapters from my main story, The All Seeing Eyes. Includes different P.O.V.s like Shukaku's P.O.V and others. Fluffy moments. More to come in the future!
1. Chapter 1- Shukaku

**_Shukaku's Adversary Part 1: Spin-Off of The All Seeing Eyes_**

**Disclaimer: The _Naruto_ series belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is based off of his work.**

**Author's Note:** **Here's a short spin-off chapter to my other story _The All Seeing Eyes_. I hope you guys like it! XD**

**The setting is in Konoha during the Chunin Exams. It is from Shukaku's perspective. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Third P.O.V.**

He didn't like this. Every time that _girl_ was around- his vessel would get antsy. He tried to tell the boy to kill her, tried to tell him to forget about her, tried to tell him she wasn't worth anything- but still, the boy wouldn't listen. And to think that he himself kind of took a liking to the boy, that is, the side where he craved for human blood to prove his existence. Yes, the raccoon demon loved wreaking havoc. But the boy no longer listened to _his_ cry for violence to _his_ cry for blood...Since when did his vessel start getting so hard-head? Oh, that's right, ever since _she _came along and changed everything. She planted that little seed in the boy's head that made him wonder if there really was more to life than proving existence through bloodshed. The boy had hated people, but _she _had started giving him second thoughts.

Sure, the boy would stay awake all night, making himself an insomniac, just to keep the demon from taking over him. But mainly, the raccoon-beast thought that he did that because when he _had_ let him out- they had both experienced pain, and then his conscious mind would slip away- ultimately chipping him down to nothing. All the boy ever wanted was to prove his existence in the most gory way possible- to live for hisself, because everyone else had turned their backs on him and marked him as a monster...That part, the demon did not enjoy.

The boy would get hysterical almost every time he had heard someone say that. Outwardly, he was fine- stoic as ever, but inwardly- he was aching. Eventually, he started to feel nothing- becoming the ultimate weapon. The boy was still very clever though, he just lacked any emotion besides hate and anger. The one-tailed beast had liked how he referred to him as "_mother_," not only because he was an obedient son, but also because he felt like he could control the boy more. Ugh, but that _girl_!

Why did she have to come in and ruin all his fun? The demon didn't like this one bit. He didn't like how that space of nothing in the boy's mind was invaded by thoughts of that girl. He didn't like how the boy would ask her questions about herself- making himself grow fonder of her by the second- making her harder for him to _kill_. _He_ was the boy's inner demon, so _he_ should be the one to control him! And not _her_, that blasted girl from the Rain.

"Oh look, here she comes again," the beast mumbles to himself.

* * *

"Good evening, Gaara-sama," the girl said with a bright smile.

The beast snarls- making his vessel twitch his head slightly.

"...Why are you here?" his vessel asked sullenly- not turning to look at the girl.

"The same reason as you, I couldn't sleep...May I sit with you?"

_'No! Tell that blasted girl to go away_!' Shukaku screamed.

The boy replies, "I'm not in the mood for company..."

'_Ugh, couldn't you have been a little more abrasive than that?_'

The girl lets out a soft sigh as she runs a hand over her dark locks.

"Well, I'm not in the mood to be alone." She sits anyway.

That's when the demon felt his vessel's urge to turn his head and look over at her.

'_Don't look at her! Remember what happened the last time you looked at her?' _the beast objected, but again, the boy wouldn't listen.

The boy turned his head slightly to glance at her. '_No! No! No! I will not be tuned out like this- you hear me? I will not-_' then the beast falls quiet. What caught the attention of his vessel was none other than the girl smiling next to him.

"The moon looks so different from here...don't you think?" she asks. "Much different than Suna, at least…"

"...Hai."

He shifts his eyes to look at her now. Her hazel eyes seemes to glitter in the moonlight.

_'Such a lively spark in her eyes,' _the Jinchuuriki thinks. '_I wonder what makes them like that...' _

"Tell me..." he speaks out loud. "What is your purpose for living?"

The wind blows through their hair and ruffles through the trees of Konoha.

"My purpose? Let me see..." She leans her chin on her right hand- gazing in front of her.

"I live for peace- to make the world a better place." Then she laughs. "Sorry...That sounded really cliche."

His eyes widen; he turns his head toward her. "But...why? You were ridiculed as a child. Why would you want peace? Why would you want to live for others?"

"Because nothing's free, much less easy," she replies. "Perhaps I wouldn't even know my purpose if it wasn't for those people. I know that true peace isn't easy to obtain, but that won't stop me from trying."

She turns to him. "You have the kanji for 'love' written on your forehead. What is it there for?"

He ponders a little before he answers. "...It's there because I promised to love only myself, to live only for myself, and to fight for only myself. I don't believe that anyone could love me and I don't want them to."

She looks at him for a moment with a sadness in her eyes. "Do you know what the ultimate act of 'love' is?"

He shakes his head. "No." He doesn't really care.

"...It's giving your life up so another can live. It's dying to self."

His brow knits. "Then what does that mean for me?"

"You decide what it means to you. No one else can tell. But some Shinobi have given their lives up for their comrades."

"Then- what about you? What does 'dying to self' mean for you?"

"For me, it's letting go of what _I _want...Like my time, for example...But I wouldn't hesitate to die for a friend or a comrade."

She smiles at him. "I consider you a friend, Gaara-sama."

He stares at her- his cerulean eyes wide with shock. '_A friend?_' She would die for him? But...why?

A few minutes pass, and the girl stands. "It was nice talking with you, Gaara-sama. I hope we can do this more often." Her serene smile doesn't leave her face.

"Samurai-san," he addresses her as he stands up.

'_San?' _She's surprised, for he's never used a suffix with her name before.

She replies, "Hai?"

"...Arigotou," he thanks her.

A bright smile covers her face again. "Anytime, Gaara-sama. Thank you for letting me stay." She bows, and then she jumps to the next rooftop and disappears from his line of sight.

* * *

Yep, this girl was definitely a problem for him. "_I say we kill her and be done with it!_"

".._.You always say that...You don't have to repeat yourself_." Gaara sighs.

"_Yes, I do, if I want to get any acknowledgement around here!_" The beast shouts angrily.

Gaara sighed again and jumped down from the roof. He crossed his arms and started walking through the town- taking no head to the demon shouting inside of him.

The boy wasn't listening. He didn't have an inkling in him to even consider killing her...And she had even called him her friend! The boy never had any friends before! The demon grits his teeth in annoyance. He had to regain control of his vessel- and fast.

Gaara continues to ignore his demon's voice as he walks back to the inn. He stops his pace suddenly and looks up to the sky.

It was better when _she_ was here..._Shukaku_ didn't bother him as much.

'_Seriously? What's up with this kid?_'

And that is when Shukaku, the One-Tailed demon, considered this girl, Samurai Shinoku, to be his adversary.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this Spin-Off!

**Review. Favorite. **And yeah, **Follow** if you want to- because there might be more Spin-Offs to come! XD

_-TheSilkWriter_


	2. Chapter 2- Gaara

**_Gaara Part 1: Deep Thoughts_**

**Third P.O.V.**

He sits on the edge of the roof, looking up at the twilight sky. Konohagakure was so different from Suna. The amethyst sheen and the velvety clouds give the sky an endearing look. He looks down over the edge of the roof and to the hidden ground below...Suppose he were to throw himself down. Would anyone care that a foreign ninja committed suicide? Not that he would actually do it. He loved himself too much to do that; he valued himself too much to do that. And he hated others so much that he killed them. This was his shogi piece. This was his ultimate plan of which he was unstoppable, until, that girl- that Shinoku girl had come into the picture.

She had tried to pry open the doors that he desperately closed all those years ago. She tried to let herself in, tried to make life happy for him in the simplest of ways. But he didn't want to be happy. He couldn't accept the joy she offered because he wanted revenge. He wanted to hate. He made this choice long ago. So what was stopping him from killing the very things that he hated most: people? He didn't like the fact that someone had come unexpectedly and tried to rebuild the bridge to his heart. But surprisingly, he had liked their talks.

She would immerse him into meaningful conversations, and even when they seemed to be talking about nothing- it would mean everything. Hearing someone else's perspective was refreshing in a way. They could be talking about something heavy and even painful, but she would make it seem lighter. She made the path of life seem easier to walk down when you had other people. She was like a beacon in the storm, like the eye of the storm, protecting those within her reach. The big question was: who was _she_ to him?

* * *

**A/N:**

I am so sorry for the long wait. Major writers block keeps hitting me and also work, school, and my extra curricular activites take up the majority of my time. I'm thinking about writing short chapters like this to help pick up the pace in my stories, but still no guarantees. I'm still here guys! I'm still trying to work on chapters and which direction I want my story to go. Thank you for sticking with me 3.

-_TheSilkWriter_


	3. Chapter 3- Mamoru

**Mamoru's Story, Part 1: Mind over Matter**

**Disclaimer: ****_Naruto_**** was created by Masashi Kishimoto. **

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter in Mamoru's perspective. I really enjoyed writing it!**

_Happy reading_~

* * *

"_You'll never be a ninja!_"

"_Ninja's have to be able to see!_"

"_Blind fool!_"

I was born blind in my left eye. After witnessing raw strength in the form of my father, my dream was to become a ninja like him. Everyone in the village told me that it was impossible.

"_You're a disgrace!_"

But I knew better. In order to be a ninja, your eyes aren't the only things you utilize. You also use your nose and ears. But because I was noticeably blind in my left eye, people made a sport out of me. They saw that I was different, and they were afraid of different. They were intimidated by me, so they expressed their fear with disdainful words and bashing. I knew this, so I didn't let it bother me.

"_I'm going to become strong. I'm going to become a ninja!_" Is what I'd tell myself each and every day before I until the age of ten.

I trained every day, all day. Rain or shine I would read books, study scrolls, and practice forming hand signs. I would train with a bamboo rod, and then when I was strong enough, with a rusted sword I had found in the forest near my home. My father, at first, was extremely against this.

"Mamoru." He'd say.

"Yes, father?"

"Why do you want to become a ninja?" He'd ask. "...Is it because you want to prove the villagers wrong?"

"Hai, father but that's not all- I want to be able to protect the people I care about. You told me that my name means "protector," so I want to live up to that name. And also, I want mother to know how strong I am."

He looked after me with a solemn expression. My dad would watch me train from that day on whenever he was home from missions until he finally made up his mind to help me train.

He'd teach me how to use various weapons and taijutsu along with some ninjutsu, although I preferred my sword over anything else. One day, he tried to teach me something new.

"Today, we will practice the art of Genjutsu, and like any art, it takes practice to hone this skill," he told me. Whenever my father told me to do something, I did it. Unless, of course, I wanted a disciplinary spanking.

"Hai, father."

Six hours later, I was panting and nearly reached the point of exhaustion.

"Mamoru, my son."

"H-hai?" I managed.

"Genjutsu..." he drawled. "Is not your strong suit."

'_He is blind in one eye because part of his brain is dead_.'

'_What does that mean for my son, doctor?_'

'_He will not be able to access the part of his brain that uses genjutsu since it is a power of the mind. If he becomes a ninja, he will be almost powerless against it. He wouldn't stand a chance. Your son, is not fit to be a ninja. If he were to become one, anyone with basic genjutsu would be able to get important information out of him_.'

'_You seem to forget that he is my son. My son is no traitor. Even at this young age he has honor. He will be as strong willed as anyone else in this village_.'

"_The doctor says its because part of your brain is dead. But, my boy, we will prove him wrong_."

...

**-Several days later-**

"Kai Release!"

"Try again."

"Kai Release!"

"Again!"

"...Release!"

"Try harder!"

"Kai Release!"

Kai Release, Kai Release.

I tried to release his genjustsu all day long.

"Kai Release!" my father shouted. He had noticed my illusion right away.

"My son," he said, "I am not that skilled in Genjutsu either. Our clan was built for true grit and strength. But we use our minds for discipline as well. What I'm saying is this: if I am able to detect your Genjutsu then it is not yet good enough! Again!"

I showed little improvement over the years, but it was improvement nonetheless. Something that the doctors said was impossible.

Growing up, it was just father and I. My mother had abandoned us and the village when I was four. Having a blind son was, apparently, too much for her to handle. I felt bad for my father because he never spoke of it. But the day after she left, he told me that it wasn't my fault. Then he took me in his embrace and kissed my forehead. He asked how she could leave such a darling son. He was my rock from then on. He was a strong man, a jounin himself, but I promised myself that I would protect him no matter what. I knew that part of me trained to be acknowledged by my mother one day so that she would know how far I've come, and know that I wasn't a disgrace.

I entered the academy a year after she left. Soon, I made Genin rank at age eleven and was assigned to my father's team.

"Son, I'm proud of you," my father said as he tied my headband around my forehead.

"Arigotou, Otousan," I grinned cheekily. "But..." I paused whilst grabbing my forehead. "My haori looks dorky like this," I whined. I untie it from my head and put it around my arm instead. "I think this looks better."

"I think it looks better on your forehead. That's why it's called a forehead protector." He tapped his protector that was attached to his black bandana. It glistened on his forehead.

My teammates were two guys that kept to themselves. We hardly spoke to each other and we preferred to train on our own, but when push came to shove, we actually made a good team.

I focused on the things I excelled in instead of what I didn't. My skills with the sword were sharpened. My hand seals, especially, improved, but I couldn't quite handle Genjutsu yet. Casting it was hard for me. I could feel a mental blockade. But detecting it, man was I good at it. My teammate who excelled in Genjutsu didn't stand a chance on keeping an illusion on me for long, and my other teammate who also trained with swords was beaten consistently in our sparring sessions. I was growing into one of the strongest Genins in the Hidden Stone village.

"Hey Mamoru...," Ryko, one of my former classmates came up to me one day. "There's a rumor going around that a girl who used to be in our class likes you."

I stared at him blankly. "So...?"

"So, you should talk to her! She's super cute!" He nudged my shoulder with his arm.

"Why?" I asked.

"Don't you want to see if she's girlfriend material?"

"Ryko," I said, "we're only eleven years old."

"So what? Everyone knows that the life of a shinobi is a short one." He grinned.

That was true. I guess we matured faster in that sense. But I never thought of girls as more than friends or persons that carried what my father described as "cooties" which were parasites that latched on to its victims and took up valuable family and training time. Of course I discovered that "cooties" were not a real parasite, but an analogy my dad used to keep me on track.

I shrug. "I never really thought about that kind of stuff."

"Look! There she is now! Here's your chance!"

He pointed to a blonde haired girl with a red ribbon that tied her wavy hair into a ponytail. I recognized her. Her name was Aiko and she was the daughter of one of my father's friends. I had barely spoken a word to her.

Her orange eyes lit up when she saw us and her cheeks tinted pink.

"She's coming over here!" Ryoko ran off towards the training fields behind the academy.

"Ryko, where are you going?" I yelled and ran after him.

That was the last time I saw Aiko. Her family had moved to a different village, but it didn't affect me. Ryko kept saying that it was a sad story that two lovers had to be pulled apart to which none of it was true. Although, he'll probably grow up to be a poet or a romance writer or something.

Unfortunately for me, all the girls I did end up liking never liked me back at the time, and when they did turn around and like me, I had already lost interest. My infatuation in them had already worn off. Of course, there were also the girls who had one-sided crushes on me as well, but not as much. In fact, the number of girls I liked were three, the ones that liked me back were two, and the ones that had one-sided crushes was four, two of which actually confessed their feelings to me.

"Sorry," I'd say, "but I don't like you that way anymore."

Or:

"Sorry, but I don't think of you in that way."

"Jerk!" They'd scream and then run off with tears forming in their eyes. But I couldn't help it. Feelings came and went, and that was life. I'm sure the girls who liked me would end up liking and marrying other people anyhow.

The timing was never perfect when it came to starting romantic relationships, so I put that on the back burner and focused on my training. It's true that one day I would want to settle down and start a family, but for now, I wanted to become strong. Romance would have to wait.

When the Chunin exams came up, everyone was sure I'd beat my opponents and become Chunin. I was so sure of myself too. I did my best to stay humble because as my father always said "pride always came before the fall," and I really didn't want to fall.

The exams were to be held in Konohagakure, the most peaceful village out there, or so I'd heard. My team and I passed the first and second exams with little complications, but I was the only one to make it to the third.

During the exams, I noticed a girl whom, judging by her headband, was from the Hidden Rain village. Her dark brown hair that reached a little past her shoulders was like shiny and smooth like silk and her hazel eyes were by far the brightest eyes I'd ever seen. She was petite in height, but had a nice figure. Her name was Samurai Shinoku, I'd heard she currently took residence in Konoha. She was the most gorgeous girl I'd ever laid eyes on. The girls in my village couldn't hold a boulder to her. She seemed to hang around Leaf and Sand ninja a lot, probably as much as her own team. I watched her match with large interest and intensity. She was smart, beautiful, and strong. At first, I admired her, but when I witnessed her first match in the Third exam, I was smitten.

I found out later that I would be fighting her in my last round. Now that was going to be interesting.

Samurai was calm and collected. At some point in our sword battle; however, I felt a certain fire rush through her, an unmistakable brazenness. My father always told me that a battle between swords was like a dance, and in that dance, you could unravel the truth about that person's character. There was a certain purity to her dance. She wasn't aiming to kill, but then again, I didn't exactly want to kill her, my dream girl, either in our match. It seemed like we were paired off perfectly for this match.

I sensed that she was holding back, but a part of me wanted to believe that I was better with the sword. She ended our match with my weakness, Genjutsu. She was good, she'd figured me out. Her technique was advanced for a Genin. I hadn't noticed it was an illusion until I woke up in the hospital later on the same day as our match.

I wondered why she was only competing in these exams now at such a high level. She was clearly gifted. Months later, news came to my team that Shinoku, Samurai had been a proctor for the exam.

A proctor...and I had fought her. She could've killed me, but I was still alive. We were told that the Genin that had been matched up against her had a different evaluation than the others. It was a face-to-face evaluation, fighting her was like an advanced interview for the Chunin position and I'd made an impression.

So, at the age of thirteen, I was promoted to Chunin rank. My father threw a party for me with my teammates. For once, we actually all had a good time together. I had proven to them that I wasn't some freak or misfit. I had earned their respect through hard work and willpower. That was a good day.

I realized that fighting Samurai Shinoku had been a gift, but I also realized that _meeting_ her was even better. As a newly ranked Chunin, I got to go on missions by myself. My father pushed me to take a mission in the Wind country to learn more about different cultures.

I heard rumors of someone named Subaku no Gaara whom I remembered from the Chunin exams. He was the guy Samurai spent a lot of time with. They seemed to bond over the short time we had for the exams. The rumors about him weren't too good. They said he was super strong and had the ultimate defense or something along those lines. I listened intently whenever I heard this kind of talk, because I thought it best to know what I was up against for Samurai's affections.

One night, I decide to pick up some dango from a stand for a snack. The shop owner let me try a stick of dango. As I was deciding which ones to get by inspecting the packages, I sensed two familiar chakras heading my way. I put my search for dango on hold and turned my head to the left.

Those shoes look familiar...I look up. The dango stick almost drops from my mouth as I witness the site before me. It was Samurai in the flesh, and walking by her side was the guy from the Chunin exams with auburn hair. Samurai was smiling and he didn't have his arms crossed for once like how he had during the exams. I took notice that his body language was more open when he was with her compared to other people, and she always seemed happier with him. They had something, that was for sure, but it didn't mean that they were soulmates at this point. They're only thirteen years old for crying out loud!

I stand up straight and bite down on my dango stick. I smile and wave.

"Oi, Samurai-sama! Long time no see!"

Her eyes meet mine. "Mamoru-san? It's been awhile," Samurai says with a smile.

She has dimples, gosh, she's cute. The red head looks at me. His eyes are studying me.

I turn to him. "I don't think we've properly meet. I'm Mamoru Takahashi." I bow.

"Gaara..." he says and nods. I recall him being a tad bit scarier. Then again, we were in a more relaxed environment than the "Forest of Death" Chunin exams. "I remember you...You were the one who fought Samurai-san during the Third exam," he says.

"Oh, yes. You have a good memory." I smile. "I'm glad that we're not total strangers."

"...Likewise." He nods.

"Anyway, what brings the two of you out here?"

Please don't say you're on a date. Please don't say you're on a date.

"Gaara-sama and I are on a mission," Samurai replies.

I sigh internally. Yes!

"Oh, is that so? Same here."

"I hear you got promoted to Chunin. Congratulations."

"Word sure travels fast!" I laugh. "But I couldn't have done it without you, Proctor." I grin and nudge her arm with my elbow. The red heads eyes follow my movement, but he doesn't say anything. Hmm...He seems to be protective over her.

"You are very skilled and you fought well, but I couldn't let you beat me." My dream girl smiles cheekily.

Couldn't let me beat you, huh? She's feisty. I kind of like feisty.

She turns her gaze up at the shop sign. "Oh, a mochi stand! Gaara-sama, do you want to get some dango?" She turns to him.

My eyes darken. No, don't look at him!

"That one on the top left shelf is good. The shop owner let me try it." I smile.

"Oh really? Arigotou!"

Gaara crosses his arms. Samurai picks out two packs of three dango sticks and two strawberry daifukus. While she's doing that, I size up my competition.

He stands at four feet eight inches. I stand six inches taller than him at five foot one. He must be no more than ninety pounds, and I was a little over one hundred. He was more on the skinny side, while I had more of a lean muscle mass. His green eyes were almost blueish, while mine were jade and lilac. But although he's small for his age, I'd seen his previous matches, and he was pretty intimidating.

As I'm assessing my rival, his eyes flick towards me. They have a bored look to them. My eyes widen and I look away. I get a shiver up my spine. He may be small, but that doesn't mean he can't beat me in a fight, especially if the rumors are true. Wow, he really is scary.

"Oi, Samurai-sama, I'll pay for that," I say as I rush to her side.

"For you, a ten percent discount," the shops owner lady says with a smile. The sides of her eyes crinkle.

"Oh, arigotou gozaimasu!" I nod as I give her my ryo notes and pay for Samurai and my mochi.

"Thank _you_," she waves_. _

Samurai thanks me, and just as I had hoped, she has good manners.

She walks up to the red-head. "Sorry for making you wait," she says to him.

"It's fine," he replies. "What did you get?"

"Mamoru-san bought us these," she says and then proceeds to tell him the different kinds she picked out. He seems to be satisfied with her choices as he nods his head.

"It was nice running into you, Mamoru-san." She turns to me. "We'd better be on our way now since we have an early morning tomorrow. Good luck with your mission! And thanks again for the treats!"

"Same to you! And don't mention it!"

She waves goodbye with a smile and Gaara nods his head then the two walk off. I wave back with a smile and watch them walk away until I decide to head towards my inn in the other direction.

Here I was again with a one-sided crush. How will things turn out this time? I wonder.

I sigh. This isn't good. If I could just will my mind to think like I will my body to move, this would not be a problem. But the mind is much harder to move. I know this from experience and the mere fact that I'm alive and breathing.

I hadn't expected to fall for someone in a promotion test so I had let my guard down. I may have easily flirted with girls in the past, but I had zero experience when it came to romantic relationships.

"_Samurai Shinoku...the one I've been waiting for?_" I question myself with a chuckle. This may be a doubtful situation since the odds were stacked against me, but that didn't mean that I couldn't be hopeful.

"Samurai Shinoku...," I say dreamily as I cast my gaze to the fuchsia colored sky.

"_Will you be mine one day?_"

...

**A/N:**

And that's all for this chapter! Thank you for reading! I personally really like Mamoru's character...Except for the player-like side of him, but hey, everyone has their flaws. And he's fallen hard for Samurai-sama XD. Yeah, life's pretty rough for him.

What are your thoughts on him?

I'm currently working on The All-Seeing Eyes chapter 17...It's taking longer than expected, but it's coming along ~\•.•/~. Thank you for your support!

**_Review. Follow. Favorite_**

-_TheSilkWriter_


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